peatt



@uiten tatra latent @frn IMPROVEMENT IN FENCE.

dlgs dgrtnle maar it in tigen ndert iitnit mit mating niet ni tip anni.

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That I, `M. D'. PRATT, Aof Copley, in thev county of Summit, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements` in Fences, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact d'escripton,'reference being had .to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of three'sections of my improved fence, and

Figure 2 represents an end view of one section of the fence.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, the rails are marked A, the posts B, stakes.C, and braces D. The rails A may be the ordinary ones, found or used upon the farm. The posts B B are driven into theground'so as to give' a worm or angle to'the sections of the fence of, say, threefeet to rails of eleven feet in length, and in'the same proportion with rails longer orshorter. This is a saving of about two-fifths of the worm found in the common railfenec. Then, again, when the common worm-fence is ridered and staked, the stakes increaseA the width of'the fence some three feet more, thus showing a'rrncrease of fence-row of some five feet over my improved fence. The ends ofthe rails A overlap each othei` between the posts B B. The bottom rail may be laid close downto .the ground, as shown inthe right-hand section, or it maybe started higher up, as shown in the other two scctions. The bottom rail, when laid as represented inthe right-hand section, may be supported upon stones or blocks a a, and when elevated as indicated in the other two sections the ends may be supported by strips, b b, of boards nailed or fastened to theposts B B. When, however, the fence isdesigned for simply turning horses and cat-tle, and the bottom rail is to be elevated considerably above the ground, I ,prefer to wind wire around the posts B B te support the ends ofthe ruil, as shown at c.. The wire coil c serves to hold the posts B B securely together, while at Athe same time affording a goed support for the ends of the rail. Stakes C are driven into 'the ground in each inner angle or Worm of the fence, and are thus brought alternately on each side of the fence,

as fully indicated in the drawings. 'The ends of the rails upon which the stakes rest, where they pass through Athe fence, may be notched or cut out, as show n at d, to make a more secure connection of the parts. The upper ends ofthe stakes() are fastenedto the posts B B, while the lower ends of short braces D rest against the tops of said stakes, and extend back through the fence at right angles to the stakes C, and are, in turn, fastened to both of the posts-B B, all as clearly indicated in the drawings. A top rail may be placed over the short braces D. The ends of the rails may be nailed orfastcned to t-hcposts and to each other,.if preferred. The bracestakes C'being set an angle, and fastened to both posts, in combination with the short braces D, arranged at right angles to the former, and also fastened to both theposts, render the fence strong and prevent shocksor much, if any,vgive' to the fence until the fence is raised up or the stakes and posts broken off, one of which must take-place before the fence can be thrown over. It will be further observed that the-stakes C are all in the hollows of the angles alternating from side to side, thus leaving the fence-line straight, so that the corners are not liable to injury from whifileltrees or'harrons-a consideration of no small importance, as every farmer can bear testimony.

Having described my improved fence, what I claim as new and of my inventionand desire to secure b Letters Patent, is-

The combination and relative arrangement of the stake-braces C and snort braces D with the railsA and posts B B, in themanner herein shown and specified, the said stake-braces being placed in the hollow 'of the angles of the fence, and alternating from side to side, as and for the purposes described.

M. D. PRATT.

Witnesses:

V. BINN, C. A. BALDWIN.. 

